More and more I find myself using my knitting as a pacifier. A way to medicate what ails me and sometimes a means to motivate me. Most recently, I've been coaxing myself to get my cardio out of the way by knitting while on the exercise bicycle. What better way eschew monotony than to crank out a few rows.
Am I the only one that refers to her knitting bag as her "binky"? I freak out (figuratively speaking) if I don't AT LEAST have a knitting project in my purse. Some socks, a hat, something to tide me over. Never know when you're going to be standing about for a few minutes. Might as well, knit it out. LOL!
Whenever someone approaches me while out knitting in public and comments that knitting is too complex and frustrating, I think to myself "Knitting is one of the most relaxing things I can think to do." It soothes my soul and abates my demons. LOL!
Speaking of knitting in public. Don't you hate it when people come up and ask you what you are knitting and it's quite obvious that you are knitting a sock or a glove. I mean how freakin' S T U P I D! It's an appendage like none other. An easily recognizable body part. I mean D @ M N! I REFUSE to even acknowledge or answer that particular question when it's something so obvious. I just think to myself "Are you serious?" and hold up my TWO socks or TWO gloves with fingers and stare at them blankly until they answer the question themselves. *grumble*
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
Of Mice and Mens...
Of Mice and Men
What an appropriate title for the continuing saga of my so called love life. *deep sigh*
Since joining the front desk staff at the gym, I've managed to capture the attention of a couple guys. After a few weeks of phone tag and brief encounters at the gym, one of them, had the guts to ask me out on a date recently. Now, physically he really isn't my "type", you see he's a big, burly, balding Black man. Honestly, I prefer Caucasian men at this juncture in my life, but I thought I'd give a brotha a chance. I know, right? What's wrong with that? I mean he seemed like a nice enough guy. Always smiling and playful when he'd check-in at the front desk. So, I figure what the heck, I'll get a nice meal and some conversation at least.
Fast forward to this past Friday afternoon. We had talked on the phone at length a couple of times, during which I had agreed to meet him for lunch. Initially, we'd agreed to meet at 11:30 AM, but I arrived at the restaurant early (11:00 AM) to secure us a table since I knew we'd have a long wait otherwise. I sent him a text message asking if he could meet me earlier and he replied at 11:09 AM that he was on his way. It was 11:39 AM, when I sent him a text message stating that I was going to go ahead an order. He showed up shortly after my food arrived. *grrrr*
He sat down explaining that he was caught up at work and apologized for keeping me waiting, this is when I noticed the wedding band on his left hand. *figures* In our previous conversations, he hadn't mentioned that he was married!!! Realizing that I had noticed his wedding band, he began to explain his situation. He's working here in Kansas City on a year long contract away from his wife and three small children. He'd married his college sweetheart, but things weren't going too well for them lately blaming the bulk of his marital issues on his mother-in-law. *shrug* I listened to him talk and talk and talk...politely nodding my head from time to time. Finally, he shifted the conversation to talk about me and "us". I let him know that I wasn't interested in having an affair with a married or otherwise involved man. I said that we could be friends, but that's it. Nothing more. Strictly platonic. He seemed disappointed and tried to explain away his marriage. *pffft* During our ensuing conversation, he showered me with praise and admiration. We talked about this and that. He talked about his entrepreneurial ventures, his profession, his family, etc. Finally, he paid the bill and escorted me out to my car where, once again, he tried to persuade me into a furtive liaison. I gave him a hug, thanked him for lunch and whisked away in my car. Not 5 minutes later, I got a text message, "U can be my secret seriously think about it." *grrrr* I don't want to be your frickin' secret jackhole. There's SINGLE men out there that I'm sure have just as much to offer as you seem to think you have to offer. Did I mention that he's a CANCER! OY VEY! The little guilt trips...the browbeating...the needling...the cajoling. ENOUGH ALREADY! GEEZ! *ack* I can't stand it. *eyeroll*
Later that afternoon, I got more text messages, "Y no response". I replied that I wanted to talk to him on the phone about his indecent proposal. I figured, I'd lay my cards on the table. Let him know that "I'm just not that into you". By this time Gwenie Gwen came over to spend the night since the mover's had come to take all her stuff and she needed a place to crash. I ignored his other pages that night. This was the last time I'd get to hangout with my Gwenie Gwen.
Saturday came. I helped Gwenie Gwen clear out the remainder of stuff in her apartment, hugged her goodbye and went into work at the gym. Just as I suspected, he was there. In previous conversations, we agreed no matter what became of us there would be "NO DRAMA!", especially at the gym. I was totally professional and went on about my duties. He did his thing and left after some small talk. I had to ring up his powershake. *shrug* No messages from him Saturday. THANK GAWD! But, the big let down was still looming over my head.
Finally, Sunday night, he called. We talked about random stuff and he hinted around about what my intentions might be with regard to him. I bluntly reminded him that I don't entangle myself with married men, especially men with small children at home. That's just bad karma. I told him that we can be friends! Strictly platonic, nothing romantic. Besides, I know what it's like to be a professional white collar Black person in Kansas City. That it's hard to network and meet new people. He acknowledged my observation and agreed that we could, at least, be friends.
*Phew* I didn't have to go there, yet! Didn't have to tell him that even if he wasn't married, that I still wouldn't be interested. Why break a man's spirit like that, right? I know how it feels for someone to say, "You're an attractive woman, but I'm not attracted to you." *HMPH* @ssh@le. Anyway, during our conversation, he commented that I was a rare gem. Someone that is hard to find and he didn't want to jeopardize our friendship. I will say this, he's a very perceptive, albeit, eccentric, guy. Not unlike myself. That being said, I'll keep him around for a minute and see what happens.
I did mention there was a couple guys, right? I'll leave them a mystery for now. Things are still unfolding...
What an appropriate title for the continuing saga of my so called love life. *deep sigh*
Since joining the front desk staff at the gym, I've managed to capture the attention of a couple guys. After a few weeks of phone tag and brief encounters at the gym, one of them, had the guts to ask me out on a date recently. Now, physically he really isn't my "type", you see he's a big, burly, balding Black man. Honestly, I prefer Caucasian men at this juncture in my life, but I thought I'd give a brotha a chance. I know, right? What's wrong with that? I mean he seemed like a nice enough guy. Always smiling and playful when he'd check-in at the front desk. So, I figure what the heck, I'll get a nice meal and some conversation at least.
Fast forward to this past Friday afternoon. We had talked on the phone at length a couple of times, during which I had agreed to meet him for lunch. Initially, we'd agreed to meet at 11:30 AM, but I arrived at the restaurant early (11:00 AM) to secure us a table since I knew we'd have a long wait otherwise. I sent him a text message asking if he could meet me earlier and he replied at 11:09 AM that he was on his way. It was 11:39 AM, when I sent him a text message stating that I was going to go ahead an order. He showed up shortly after my food arrived. *grrrr*
He sat down explaining that he was caught up at work and apologized for keeping me waiting, this is when I noticed the wedding band on his left hand. *figures* In our previous conversations, he hadn't mentioned that he was married!!! Realizing that I had noticed his wedding band, he began to explain his situation. He's working here in Kansas City on a year long contract away from his wife and three small children. He'd married his college sweetheart, but things weren't going too well for them lately blaming the bulk of his marital issues on his mother-in-law. *shrug* I listened to him talk and talk and talk...politely nodding my head from time to time. Finally, he shifted the conversation to talk about me and "us". I let him know that I wasn't interested in having an affair with a married or otherwise involved man. I said that we could be friends, but that's it. Nothing more. Strictly platonic. He seemed disappointed and tried to explain away his marriage. *pffft* During our ensuing conversation, he showered me with praise and admiration. We talked about this and that. He talked about his entrepreneurial ventures, his profession, his family, etc. Finally, he paid the bill and escorted me out to my car where, once again, he tried to persuade me into a furtive liaison. I gave him a hug, thanked him for lunch and whisked away in my car. Not 5 minutes later, I got a text message, "U can be my secret seriously think about it." *grrrr* I don't want to be your frickin' secret jackhole. There's SINGLE men out there that I'm sure have just as much to offer as you seem to think you have to offer. Did I mention that he's a CANCER! OY VEY! The little guilt trips...the browbeating...the needling...the cajoling. ENOUGH ALREADY! GEEZ! *ack* I can't stand it. *eyeroll*
Later that afternoon, I got more text messages, "Y no response". I replied that I wanted to talk to him on the phone about his indecent proposal. I figured, I'd lay my cards on the table. Let him know that "I'm just not that into you". By this time Gwenie Gwen came over to spend the night since the mover's had come to take all her stuff and she needed a place to crash. I ignored his other pages that night. This was the last time I'd get to hangout with my Gwenie Gwen.
Saturday came. I helped Gwenie Gwen clear out the remainder of stuff in her apartment, hugged her goodbye and went into work at the gym. Just as I suspected, he was there. In previous conversations, we agreed no matter what became of us there would be "NO DRAMA!", especially at the gym. I was totally professional and went on about my duties. He did his thing and left after some small talk. I had to ring up his powershake. *shrug* No messages from him Saturday. THANK GAWD! But, the big let down was still looming over my head.
Finally, Sunday night, he called. We talked about random stuff and he hinted around about what my intentions might be with regard to him. I bluntly reminded him that I don't entangle myself with married men, especially men with small children at home. That's just bad karma. I told him that we can be friends! Strictly platonic, nothing romantic. Besides, I know what it's like to be a professional white collar Black person in Kansas City. That it's hard to network and meet new people. He acknowledged my observation and agreed that we could, at least, be friends.
*Phew* I didn't have to go there, yet! Didn't have to tell him that even if he wasn't married, that I still wouldn't be interested. Why break a man's spirit like that, right? I know how it feels for someone to say, "You're an attractive woman, but I'm not attracted to you." *HMPH* @ssh@le. Anyway, during our conversation, he commented that I was a rare gem. Someone that is hard to find and he didn't want to jeopardize our friendship. I will say this, he's a very perceptive, albeit, eccentric, guy. Not unlike myself. That being said, I'll keep him around for a minute and see what happens.
I did mention there was a couple guys, right? I'll leave them a mystery for now. Things are still unfolding...
Sunday, August 26, 2007
FO: Knucks - Two at Once Magic Loop
Pattern: Knitty Summer 2006 Knucks
Yarn: Louet Gems Merino Sport Weight Colorway: Chickadee
Needles: Addi Turbo Lace Needles US 3 47" cable
Started: July, 2007
Finished: September 15, 2007
Project Details:
I've modified the original for 2 at once Magic Loop.
Instead of a traditional cast on called for in the original pattern, I used the provisional cast-on for each of the fingers. Using my Brittany 5" dpn, I knit each finger separately. I wanted the bound off edge to be the facing edge of fingers. I unzipped the provisional cast-on and evenly transferred the live finger stitches to my magic loop needle (Addi Turbo Lace Needle 47" US3).
Be sure to leave enough yarn tail so you can go back and close up the hole between the finger joins.
It took me a while to decipher the thumb join and gusset portion of the original pattern. With the thumb's live stitches on 2 dpns, you'll transfer each half of the thumb live stitches to each side of the palm. On the working side, knit across the thumb stitches until you are 2 stitches before end of the thumb stitches and work a ssk, place a marker, then k2tog on first 2 palm stitches, knit across both palms ending with k2tog, place marker. Next, you'll place the live stitches of the other thumb on to the needles for the other palm. ssk first 2 thumb stitches, knit remaining thumb stitches, turn, knit to last 2 thumb stitches, ssk, place marker, k2tog first 2 stitches of palm, knit across palms. This joined the thumbs to the palms.
Basically, the thumb gussets are formed by:
- K 2 rounds.
- Next Round: K to 2 sts before first marker, k2tog, k to second marker, ssk, k to end.
- Repeat these 3 rounds 4[5, 6] times more, removing markers on last round. 34[42, 50] sts.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Goodbye Sweet Gwenie Gwen
Sunday, August 19, 2007
I invited the girls over for a Sunday dinner Farewell for our girl, Gwenie Gwen.
This weekend, Gwen is moving to DC metro to pursue a great career opportunity. Fortunately, her brother, sister-in-law and brand new baby nephew, Lucas live nearby. It has been a pleasure knowing Gwen and I've grown very attached to her. *sniffle* I'm going to miss my Gwenie Gwen.
It was my pleasure to prepare a feast fit for Gwenie Gwen and my other knitter friends.
For those that might be curious, I marinated the chicken breasts over night in KC Masterpiece Garlic & Herb Marinade. I, also, served C. Wirthy & Co. Blackened Seasoned Atlantic Salmon. I grilled both of these on my Ultrex Reversible Grill & Griddle with Glass Lid. Using the lid makes for such tender meat. It's like butter! We had dinner rolls, baked potatoes and a simple spinach, cherry tomato salad with Julianne carrots, broccoli and sprouts. I marinated the asparagus in olive oil, balasmic vinager, soy sauce and minced garlic then sauteed them. Joanna, that salad dressing you liked was Good Seasons Red Raspberry Vinaigrette with Poppyseeds. There was fruit, chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert. Least we forget the bottle of Sofia Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine Gwen and I put away. *ugh* I was a little out of it after dinner. LOL!
Then, Joanna had the excellent idea for us to take a friendship foot circle picture.
I invited the girls over for a Sunday dinner Farewell for our girl, Gwenie Gwen.
This weekend, Gwen is moving to DC metro to pursue a great career opportunity. Fortunately, her brother, sister-in-law and brand new baby nephew, Lucas live nearby. It has been a pleasure knowing Gwen and I've grown very attached to her. *sniffle* I'm going to miss my Gwenie Gwen.
It was my pleasure to prepare a feast fit for Gwenie Gwen and my other knitter friends.
For those that might be curious, I marinated the chicken breasts over night in KC Masterpiece Garlic & Herb Marinade. I, also, served C. Wirthy & Co. Blackened Seasoned Atlantic Salmon. I grilled both of these on my Ultrex Reversible Grill & Griddle with Glass Lid. Using the lid makes for such tender meat. It's like butter! We had dinner rolls, baked potatoes and a simple spinach, cherry tomato salad with Julianne carrots, broccoli and sprouts. I marinated the asparagus in olive oil, balasmic vinager, soy sauce and minced garlic then sauteed them. Joanna, that salad dressing you liked was Good Seasons Red Raspberry Vinaigrette with Poppyseeds. There was fruit, chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert. Least we forget the bottle of Sofia Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Wine Gwen and I put away. *ugh* I was a little out of it after dinner. LOL!
Then, Joanna had the excellent idea for us to take a friendship foot circle picture.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Stitches Midwest 2007: Day Four - Le Denouement
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Le denouement commence...it's all over, but the *I forget the rest*
We all got up early for a final meal together before venturing back to the market to see if there's any last minute deals to be made. Suzie had an early flight, so she couldn't go. *sniffle* I was coveting her really cool ChocoCat wallet at breakfast. *pout* Now, I want a ChocoCat. *meow*
Gwenie Gwen and I took a quick picture together before leaving the hotel and heading back over to the market.
There really wasn't much I was in the mood for as I browsed around the market. I just kinda pittled around.
Beth and Gwen bought some more HiyaHiya doublepoints. Apparently, they are the bomb to knit with. Beth says they are very light and the price was very reasonable. We're begging Amber to start selling them at MisKnits now. ;)
We visited with Jim & Linda, owners of the Pajolo Alpaca and I talked myself into getting a couple hanks of the good stuff for a scarf or hat.
I bought some of the really cute Addi 4" Aluminum double points for gloves and such and a couple balls of Crystal Palace Waikiki in in Fern and Code Pink and a hank of Berocco Bonsai in Sumi Ink at the Hill Creek Fiber booth for 40% off . I'll use 'em for headbands. I'm on a headband kick again. One of these days, I'm actually going to make myself one. *sigh*
I'm all about making little things now. Just something so that my knitter homies will stop mercilessly teasing me about NEVER finishing anything. I do, dagnabit. Just not as fast as they do. *hmph*
I finished the pair of Saartje Bootees for my friend Ashanti's new bundle that's due in October. I, normally, DO NOT knit baby items, but since she asked me to make something for her little girl, how could I turn her down.
Now, I'm going to cast on for this adorable little lace cardigan called "Angel Baby Cardigan".
OH! But, the highlight of my day was a Random Act of Kindness! While inquiring if I could sit down for lunch at a table occupied by two ladies, one of them asked me if I like to do color work? *nods* "Yes, I do, actually." Then, she says, "Great! Here I want you to have this book!" *gasp* "WUH! ME?" It was The Knitting Experience Book 3: Color #7199 by XRX Books. She, Julie C., had just won the book in one of the daily raffles and since she already had the book decided to give it to me. *gush* What a nice thing to do. I gave her a big hug and joined them for lunch and to watch the Victorian Lace Today fashion show. During our time together, Julie mentioned that her little 14 y/0 had to go home early from the event because she had been running a fever since opening night. Fortunately, the great folks over at XRX gave her daughter a pass so that she can attend next year's event. Way Cool. I couldn't help but admire Julie's badge holder full of pins from Stitches past. All the way back to 2000, I think. WOW! Who knew?! I finished my lunch and joined Gwen and Beth over at the fashion show area just in time for the big cash drawing. *drumroll* *WAMPH* *WAMPH* *WAMPH* Nope, no big prizes for me this trip, but the RAK more than made up for that.
I have to say that I encountered some really nice, fun people during our sojourn in Chicago. I'll definitely be going back again.
Le denouement commence...it's all over, but the *I forget the rest*
We all got up early for a final meal together before venturing back to the market to see if there's any last minute deals to be made. Suzie had an early flight, so she couldn't go. *sniffle* I was coveting her really cool ChocoCat wallet at breakfast. *pout* Now, I want a ChocoCat. *meow*
Gwenie Gwen and I took a quick picture together before leaving the hotel and heading back over to the market.
There really wasn't much I was in the mood for as I browsed around the market. I just kinda pittled around.
Beth and Gwen bought some more HiyaHiya doublepoints. Apparently, they are the bomb to knit with. Beth says they are very light and the price was very reasonable. We're begging Amber to start selling them at MisKnits now. ;)
We visited with Jim & Linda, owners of the Pajolo Alpaca and I talked myself into getting a couple hanks of the good stuff for a scarf or hat.
I bought some of the really cute Addi 4" Aluminum double points for gloves and such and a couple balls of Crystal Palace Waikiki in in Fern and Code Pink and a hank of Berocco Bonsai in Sumi Ink at the Hill Creek Fiber booth for 40% off . I'll use 'em for headbands. I'm on a headband kick again. One of these days, I'm actually going to make myself one. *sigh*
I'm all about making little things now. Just something so that my knitter homies will stop mercilessly teasing me about NEVER finishing anything. I do, dagnabit. Just not as fast as they do. *hmph*
I finished the pair of Saartje Bootees for my friend Ashanti's new bundle that's due in October. I, normally, DO NOT knit baby items, but since she asked me to make something for her little girl, how could I turn her down.
Now, I'm going to cast on for this adorable little lace cardigan called "Angel Baby Cardigan".
OH! But, the highlight of my day was a Random Act of Kindness! While inquiring if I could sit down for lunch at a table occupied by two ladies, one of them asked me if I like to do color work? *nods* "Yes, I do, actually." Then, she says, "Great! Here I want you to have this book!" *gasp* "WUH! ME?" It was The Knitting Experience Book 3: Color #7199 by XRX Books. She, Julie C., had just won the book in one of the daily raffles and since she already had the book decided to give it to me. *gush* What a nice thing to do. I gave her a big hug and joined them for lunch and to watch the Victorian Lace Today fashion show. During our time together, Julie mentioned that her little 14 y/0 had to go home early from the event because she had been running a fever since opening night. Fortunately, the great folks over at XRX gave her daughter a pass so that she can attend next year's event. Way Cool. I couldn't help but admire Julie's badge holder full of pins from Stitches past. All the way back to 2000, I think. WOW! Who knew?! I finished my lunch and joined Gwen and Beth over at the fashion show area just in time for the big cash drawing. *drumroll* *WAMPH* *WAMPH* *WAMPH* Nope, no big prizes for me this trip, but the RAK more than made up for that.
I have to say that I encountered some really nice, fun people during our sojourn in Chicago. I'll definitely be going back again.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Stitches Midwest 2007: Day Three - FRENZY
Saturday, August 11, 2007
My first class of the day was 307-3 Complete From The Neck Down with Barry Klein of Trendsetter Yarns. The class was relatively easy to follow along. Shout out to my friends, Elissa and Lois. We made a sample sized classic raglan sweater from the top down. LOVE IT! Now, I want to cast on for a baby sweater for Ashanti's new baby girl (Alyvia) that's due in October.
Next, I caught up with the girls had a quick lunch followed by more market browsing.
During lunch, I remarked how fascinated I had become with our comic book brethren across the way. Knitters and Comic Book fanatics! Who Knew!? Sometimes, I like to play little scavenger hunt type games and I thought it would be cool if I "collected" photos of myself with people at the convention who were dressed up. But, not just any costume. I wanted studio quality. As luck would have it, just as we left the market place after lunch on our way to class, Gwenie Gwen and I encountered a big, green warthog with a hatchet. YEAH! I asked Gwenie Gwen if she would snap my picture with the warthog man, she was having none of that and left me to fend for myself. So, I politely asked the warthog if he would pose for a picture with me.
My afternoon class was 512-3 The Long & Short of Knitting Alterations with Margaret Fisher.
*ugh* I look like a lumbering ox standing next to this lady. GEEZ!
This was an interesting, yet frustrating class since the bulk of the class centered around grafting. In particular, using the dreaded KITCHENER stitch. I had no problem with the first portion of the class where we learned how cut into a swatch horizontally and put the top and bottom half the swatch back on the needles to lengthen it. But, for some reason, I could not follow along when we had to kitchener our sample back together on the needles. *GRUMBLE* After some wrangling, I did manage to get a couple stitches correct using the off the needle kitchener. *sigh*
After classes were done, we had dinner and martinis across the street at the Doubletree. Finally, a chance to unwind, eat, drink and dish. After dinner, we decided we weren't quite ready to pack it in for the night and head back to our hotel to knit at the hotel lobby bar. This is where the fun begins...
Once back at our hotel, I headed straight for the bar while the girls went up stairs to put their stuff away, etc. Approaching the bar, I spotted a moderately hot looking guy. I figure what the heck and I struck up some small talk with him and find out he's an orthopedic sales representative in town for conference with his peers. After a few minutes, the girls join me at the bar and we settle in at a table perfectly situated to see everyone coming and going off the elevator and a view of the bar itself.
After we settle in, Suzie presents me with a lonely green monster leg that someone had left on the elevator. *gasp* "GEEZ! One of these comiconer guys is probably freaking out that his articulated green monster leg is gone!" No doubt one of his friends took it as a joke and here we sit with this lonely pitiful little leg. *awww* Gwen suggested that I use the monster foot as a display for one of the Saartje's Bootees I had just completed to which I replied, "Yeah, I can put my booty on his leg!" LOL! *snort* It was, also, a show of solidarity. The fusion of knitting and action figures. *shrug* GI Joe needs socks, too, dagnabit.
Earlier, I spotted a pot bellied 60something year old man trolling the bar. I call him "Clifford The Big Red Dog". Why? He had on a red polo shirt and his whole bald head was red and he looked like he was up to no good! After pointing him out to the girls, Gwen commented that he probably has high blood pressure and that's why is head is red or maybe he got too much sun or both. Anyway! Clifford is pacing back and forth at the bar talking on his cellphone. *shrug* ok. Then, a couple of white collar married guy types come down off the elevator and head to the bar with a very pretty, teeny tiny Asian woman in betwixt them. I could tell that she probably wasn't a coworker. My spidey senses said she's an ESCORT! HMMMM! She was dressed in a VERY REVEALING t!t hugging tiny little shirt with a plunging neckline, tight jeans, and those really tall hooker shoes. GOOD LAWD GIRL! Your t!ts are bigger than your whole head. *eyeroll* The threesome sit at the bar, drink and chatted for a while, then Madame Butterfly decided she's a little undressed (judging by all the gasps and pointing) and slips back upstairs for a wardrobe change.
Meanwhile, another pole dancer proceeds to stride through towards the bar where she joins Clifford! This woman was very attractive and very young...I'd say early 20s. She has a very Eastern European look about her, I'll call her Svetlana. I could only surmise that Clifford had called one of those "escort" services for some late night company while he was pacing back and forth. Svetlana and Clifford sat at the bar and chatted for quite some time. I figured Clifford needed some time for his Viagra to kick in before taking Svetlana upstairs to his room.
Now, Madame Butterfly re-emerges to join her married male duo. This time wearing a less revealing BeBe shirt. *eyeroll* A while later, the MFM threesome had finished their drinks and were headed back upstairs. On the way to the elevator, I noticed a certain aire about the men. A swagger. A "I'm gonna tear that @ss up" swagger. HMPH! Who knew that these things go on in the suburbs. I thought about these married, traveling business men with their escorts and how their wife probably has NO CLUE. She holding down the fort at home while he gets his "happy ending" on the road. *shakes head* After what seems like an hour or so, Clifford and Svetlana are STILL at the bar. The rancor was rising. I saw a couple people at the bar making "money exchange" gestures at each other about the diabolical duo right in front of their faces. As the night wore on, the rancor and clamor started to get a bit high and I gestured to the girls that it was time to go. I had a bad feeling...like something was going to jump off at that bar soon and we didn't want to be anywhere near it when the bomb dropped. LOL! But, before retiring to our room, I wanted to make sure that the lonely monster leg found his rightful body. Did I mention that the toes even articulate? You can bend 'em backwards and everything! *ehem* I handed the leg over to the front desk with strict instructions about his care and wellbeing. *sniffle* I hope he found his body.
As we settled into our room and began to pack, I started to panic a bit thinking that I wouldn't have enough room in my suitcase for my yarn haul. I began thinking about what I could leave behind. Of course, Gwenie Gwen had it all figured out and gave me some hints on packing. I got it all squished in and ready to go, but not before I took a picture of my entire haul.
My first class of the day was 307-3 Complete From The Neck Down with Barry Klein of Trendsetter Yarns. The class was relatively easy to follow along. Shout out to my friends, Elissa and Lois. We made a sample sized classic raglan sweater from the top down. LOVE IT! Now, I want to cast on for a baby sweater for Ashanti's new baby girl (Alyvia) that's due in October.
Next, I caught up with the girls had a quick lunch followed by more market browsing.
During lunch, I remarked how fascinated I had become with our comic book brethren across the way. Knitters and Comic Book fanatics! Who Knew!? Sometimes, I like to play little scavenger hunt type games and I thought it would be cool if I "collected" photos of myself with people at the convention who were dressed up. But, not just any costume. I wanted studio quality. As luck would have it, just as we left the market place after lunch on our way to class, Gwenie Gwen and I encountered a big, green warthog with a hatchet. YEAH! I asked Gwenie Gwen if she would snap my picture with the warthog man, she was having none of that and left me to fend for myself. So, I politely asked the warthog if he would pose for a picture with me.
SEE! 
My afternoon class was 512-3 The Long & Short of Knitting Alterations with Margaret Fisher.
This was an interesting, yet frustrating class since the bulk of the class centered around grafting. In particular, using the dreaded KITCHENER stitch. I had no problem with the first portion of the class where we learned how cut into a swatch horizontally and put the top and bottom half the swatch back on the needles to lengthen it. But, for some reason, I could not follow along when we had to kitchener our sample back together on the needles. *GRUMBLE* After some wrangling, I did manage to get a couple stitches correct using the off the needle kitchener. *sigh*
After classes were done, we had dinner and martinis across the street at the Doubletree. Finally, a chance to unwind, eat, drink and dish. After dinner, we decided we weren't quite ready to pack it in for the night and head back to our hotel to knit at the hotel lobby bar. This is where the fun begins...
Once back at our hotel, I headed straight for the bar while the girls went up stairs to put their stuff away, etc. Approaching the bar, I spotted a moderately hot looking guy. I figure what the heck and I struck up some small talk with him and find out he's an orthopedic sales representative in town for conference with his peers. After a few minutes, the girls join me at the bar and we settle in at a table perfectly situated to see everyone coming and going off the elevator and a view of the bar itself.
After we settle in, Suzie presents me with a lonely green monster leg that someone had left on the elevator. *gasp* "GEEZ! One of these comiconer guys is probably freaking out that his articulated green monster leg is gone!" No doubt one of his friends took it as a joke and here we sit with this lonely pitiful little leg. *awww* Gwen suggested that I use the monster foot as a display for one of the Saartje's Bootees I had just completed to which I replied, "Yeah, I can put my booty on his leg!" LOL! *snort* It was, also, a show of solidarity. The fusion of knitting and action figures. *shrug* GI Joe needs socks, too, dagnabit.
Meanwhile, another pole dancer proceeds to stride through towards the bar where she joins Clifford! This woman was very attractive and very young...I'd say early 20s. She has a very Eastern European look about her, I'll call her Svetlana. I could only surmise that Clifford had called one of those "escort" services for some late night company while he was pacing back and forth. Svetlana and Clifford sat at the bar and chatted for quite some time. I figured Clifford needed some time for his Viagra to kick in before taking Svetlana upstairs to his room.
Now, Madame Butterfly re-emerges to join her married male duo. This time wearing a less revealing BeBe shirt. *eyeroll* A while later, the MFM threesome had finished their drinks and were headed back upstairs. On the way to the elevator, I noticed a certain aire about the men. A swagger. A "I'm gonna tear that @ss up" swagger. HMPH! Who knew that these things go on in the suburbs. I thought about these married, traveling business men with their escorts and how their wife probably has NO CLUE. She holding down the fort at home while he gets his "happy ending" on the road. *shakes head* After what seems like an hour or so, Clifford and Svetlana are STILL at the bar. The rancor was rising. I saw a couple people at the bar making "money exchange" gestures at each other about the diabolical duo right in front of their faces. As the night wore on, the rancor and clamor started to get a bit high and I gestured to the girls that it was time to go. I had a bad feeling...like something was going to jump off at that bar soon and we didn't want to be anywhere near it when the bomb dropped. LOL! But, before retiring to our room, I wanted to make sure that the lonely monster leg found his rightful body. Did I mention that the toes even articulate? You can bend 'em backwards and everything! *ehem* I handed the leg over to the front desk with strict instructions about his care and wellbeing. *sniffle* I hope he found his body.
As we settled into our room and began to pack, I started to panic a bit thinking that I wouldn't have enough room in my suitcase for my yarn haul. I began thinking about what I could leave behind. Of course, Gwenie Gwen had it all figured out and gave me some hints on packing. I got it all squished in and ready to go, but not before I took a picture of my entire haul.
Friday, August 10, 2007
Stitches Midwest 2007: Day Two - BLISS!
Friday, August 10, 2007
Suzie and Beth had class all day Friday, so Gwenie Gwen and I hit the market for a fun filled day of shopping. We started out rather leisurely since we hit most of the hot spots during Thursday's Market Preview. Let me just say that I'm so glad that I got to meet Suzie and Beth. They are so adorable. I think I freaked them out a bit at first, but by Sunday I had 'em broken in. ;) Thank Gawd for the Yarn Seekers, Gwen and Suzi. They have a knack for finding the most beautiful yarn ever. Trophy Yarn no less. See, I was LITERALLY like a 6 year old at an amusement park! Gwen, Suzie and Beth are the seasoned veterans. The voices of reason with the master plan. Like I told Gwen on several occasions, "HEY! I'm just going to follow you around 'cause you know what to do..." The market is overwhelming and I was lucky to have my veteran homies with me. That's Gwenie, Suzie and Beth. Me? Well, I'm sure they wanted to put a leash and a muzzle on me...I just couldn't help myself. I had to buzz about randomly looking at stuff. One word: A. D. D. LOL! OK! That's actually 3 words, but you know what I mean.
It occurred to me that I should be looking for "trophy" or "you just can't get that just anywhere" type yarns. Now, the hunt begins...
I think one of the first booths we visited that morning was the Hand Painted Knitting Yarns booth. Gwen had been eyeing this really cool donegal tweedy type sock yarn and, of course, I had to get me some, too. All of their colorways are named after operas and as fate would have it, I had inadvertently chosen my own namesake yarn, Carmen. That's two so far, Patons Carmen and now the sweet tweedy Carmen. I got a hank of Nabucco and Fidelo, too.
The highlight of my Friday frenzy was when I stumbled across one of Norah Gaughan's new Berroco patterns called "Joplin" at the WEBS booth. The lovely Andra of WEBS was there to stoke my obsession by letting me try the sample on. Soon, my new pal Pete (WEBS shipping operations manager) was stacking 2.5 bags of Berroco Jasper in the Black Galaxy colorway! The lovely Andra took this photo of me modeling the XL size. I'm going to have to crank this one out on my knitting machine so I can have it just that much faster! This is definitely going to be a work sweater.
I'm, also, in love with the Johanna pattern in the booklet as well. Pete's going to be packaging up another bundle of love of me soon.
Being the Norah Gaughan fan that I am, I also, got her new Berroco "Norah Gaughan, Volume 1" book. I just love modern, contemporary patterns.
Another mitzvah for me was when I found a vendor with back issues of Interweave Knits! Not only that, but they were 40% off. I got IK Fall/Winter 2003, IK Spring, Summer and Winter 2004.
I got some JoJoland Melody Superwash wool in MS17, Y09
I bought MORE Addi Turbo Lace needles and 3 hanks of Tess' Super Sock and Baby Yarn in solid colorways, teal, lilac and rose.
After a few hours of shopping, Gwenie Gwen and I waited for Beth and Suzie in the classroom hangout area. I collapsed and took a power nap, then knit for a while on my Nashua Surplice lace top. I have to say that I didn't get a chance to do a whole lot of knitting at this knitting convention. *grumble*
After the girls got out of class, it was back down to the market for more shopping.
After a full day at the market, we decided to order a pizza and watch a movie in our room.
Many thanks to Beth for schlepping to get the pizza and for treating us to it as well.
So, what movie did we watch? KNOCKED UP! OH MY GAWD! *dry heave* Why! OH WHY! Did the director feel the need to show the baby's head crowning. LAWD GEEZUS! I don't EVER want to see that again. Also, I've decided never to have sex with any chunky, pot smoking, curly haired Jewish guys named Ben since they are magically fertile. LOL! *shudder*
Friday Night Haul
*photos coming soon*
Suzie and Beth had class all day Friday, so Gwenie Gwen and I hit the market for a fun filled day of shopping. We started out rather leisurely since we hit most of the hot spots during Thursday's Market Preview. Let me just say that I'm so glad that I got to meet Suzie and Beth. They are so adorable. I think I freaked them out a bit at first, but by Sunday I had 'em broken in. ;) Thank Gawd for the Yarn Seekers, Gwen and Suzi. They have a knack for finding the most beautiful yarn ever. Trophy Yarn no less. See, I was LITERALLY like a 6 year old at an amusement park! Gwen, Suzie and Beth are the seasoned veterans. The voices of reason with the master plan. Like I told Gwen on several occasions, "HEY! I'm just going to follow you around 'cause you know what to do..." The market is overwhelming and I was lucky to have my veteran homies with me. That's Gwenie, Suzie and Beth. Me? Well, I'm sure they wanted to put a leash and a muzzle on me...I just couldn't help myself. I had to buzz about randomly looking at stuff. One word: A. D. D. LOL! OK! That's actually 3 words, but you know what I mean.
It occurred to me that I should be looking for "trophy" or "you just can't get that just anywhere" type yarns. Now, the hunt begins...
I think one of the first booths we visited that morning was the Hand Painted Knitting Yarns booth. Gwen had been eyeing this really cool donegal tweedy type sock yarn and, of course, I had to get me some, too. All of their colorways are named after operas and as fate would have it, I had inadvertently chosen my own namesake yarn, Carmen. That's two so far, Patons Carmen and now the sweet tweedy Carmen. I got a hank of Nabucco and Fidelo, too.
The highlight of my Friday frenzy was when I stumbled across one of Norah Gaughan's new Berroco patterns called "Joplin" at the WEBS booth. The lovely Andra of WEBS was there to stoke my obsession by letting me try the sample on. Soon, my new pal Pete (WEBS shipping operations manager) was stacking 2.5 bags of Berroco Jasper in the Black Galaxy colorway! The lovely Andra took this photo of me modeling the XL size. I'm going to have to crank this one out on my knitting machine so I can have it just that much faster! This is definitely going to be a work sweater.
I'm, also, in love with the Johanna pattern in the booklet as well. Pete's going to be packaging up another bundle of love of me soon.
Being the Norah Gaughan fan that I am, I also, got her new Berroco "Norah Gaughan, Volume 1" book. I just love modern, contemporary patterns.
Another mitzvah for me was when I found a vendor with back issues of Interweave Knits! Not only that, but they were 40% off. I got IK Fall/Winter 2003, IK Spring, Summer and Winter 2004.
I got some JoJoland Melody Superwash wool in MS17, Y09
I bought MORE Addi Turbo Lace needles and 3 hanks of Tess' Super Sock and Baby Yarn in solid colorways, teal, lilac and rose.
After a few hours of shopping, Gwenie Gwen and I waited for Beth and Suzie in the classroom hangout area. I collapsed and took a power nap, then knit for a while on my Nashua Surplice lace top. I have to say that I didn't get a chance to do a whole lot of knitting at this knitting convention. *grumble*
After the girls got out of class, it was back down to the market for more shopping.
After a full day at the market, we decided to order a pizza and watch a movie in our room.
Many thanks to Beth for schlepping to get the pizza and for treating us to it as well.
So, what movie did we watch? KNOCKED UP! OH MY GAWD! *dry heave* Why! OH WHY! Did the director feel the need to show the baby's head crowning. LAWD GEEZUS! I don't EVER want to see that again. Also, I've decided never to have sex with any chunky, pot smoking, curly haired Jewish guys named Ben since they are magically fertile. LOL! *shudder*
Friday Night Haul
*photos coming soon*
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Stitches Midwest 2007: Day One - The Sojourn Begins!
On hindsight, let me start with what I learned about preparing for your trip to Stitches.
1. FOOT CARE
Don't forget that you will be on your feet for hours and hours on end walking around in the market and to/from your hotel. Make sure you wear your most comfortable walking shoes ever. DO NOT WEAR BRAND NEW SHOES! I put 2 (two) layers of Dr. Scholls Massaging Gel Insoles in my shoes and was able to survive 90% of the day without ANY foot pain. The logic for wearing two sets of insoles is that they are designed for people of average weight, so if you are a plus size girl like myself you need to compensate for that by using 2 pairs.
2. HOTEL
We were only able to get a room at the Hyatt Rosemont since the Hyatt O'Hare (connected to the convention center) had already sold out when we made our reservations. For me, this was a big mitzvah because I discovered that the Hyatt O'Hare is an atrium style hotel that was filled to capacity with folks from the Wizard World Comic Book Convention (more on this later) and, of course, the Stitches Midwesterners. I'm sure it was VERY VERY noisy in that hotel what with all the commotion from the comiconers rising up through the center of the hotel. That would have pissed me off. By stark contrast, the Hyatt Rosemont was smaller and had a very quaint boutique layout. All we had to do was take the FREE hotel shuttle from the Hyatt Rosemont to the Hyatt O'Hare and walk across the air conditioned breezeway to the convention center.
3. TRAVEL
Leave yourself plenty of time to get to the airport, get parked, get checked in and get to your gate. Traveling with Gwenie Gwen was great because she hates to be late so we were never rushed. LOVE THAT! Thanks Gwenie Gwen.
Don't forget that the airlines charge a substantial fee for overweight luggage! Usually $25.00 to $50.00 per bag. Therefore, only bring the most absolutely essential items with you. You don't want to put yourself in the position of having to decide what to leave behind so you can squeeze one more ball of yarn in your bag. It's best if you can pack an empty backpack and/or tote bag in your luggage to use to bring your yarn back on the plane with you since we get 2 carry ons. I brought a large capacity High Sierra Access backpack and a tote bag with me.
4. SLEEP
I never stay in a hotel without my trusty ear plugs and plush sleep mask. MUST MUST MUST have, especially if you are sharing your room and one or both of you snore. ;) Might want to use a hair clip to pin the drapes closed, too.
The Thursday Night Market Preview Haul
You must attend the opening night of the market! It's a must.
After getting settled into our hotel. The girls (Gwen, Beth, Suzie) and I hoofed it over to the convention center for the Market Preview. There were samples of Malabrigo Baby Merino Lace and SWTC Vegas . It was while at the Southwest Trading Company's booth that Joe told me about the new LIMITED EDITION colorway #740 for the August 2007 SWTC "Sock of the Month" club. I saw a sample of it knit up and I was instantly smitten. I had to have it. Joe tracked down some of it at one of the vendor booths and I snapped up 3 balls of it. Then, off to The Fold booth for some Socks That Rock! *drool* By the time, I made it over to the booth, there was a long line just to check out and a swarm of women drooling, pawing, you get the picture. I managed to hoard as many hanks as I could hold and added more while I was standing in line to pay. After spending a small fortune at The Fold, we visited the Brooks Farm booth and Gwen, heretofore referred to as the YARN SEEKER, found some Duet on sale that would be perfect for the Clapotis.
We stayed until the market closed then dragged our weary bodies back over to the Hyatt. *phew*
1. FOOT CARE
Don't forget that you will be on your feet for hours and hours on end walking around in the market and to/from your hotel. Make sure you wear your most comfortable walking shoes ever. DO NOT WEAR BRAND NEW SHOES! I put 2 (two) layers of Dr. Scholls Massaging Gel Insoles in my shoes and was able to survive 90% of the day without ANY foot pain. The logic for wearing two sets of insoles is that they are designed for people of average weight, so if you are a plus size girl like myself you need to compensate for that by using 2 pairs.
2. HOTEL
We were only able to get a room at the Hyatt Rosemont since the Hyatt O'Hare (connected to the convention center) had already sold out when we made our reservations. For me, this was a big mitzvah because I discovered that the Hyatt O'Hare is an atrium style hotel that was filled to capacity with folks from the Wizard World Comic Book Convention (more on this later) and, of course, the Stitches Midwesterners. I'm sure it was VERY VERY noisy in that hotel what with all the commotion from the comiconers rising up through the center of the hotel. That would have pissed me off. By stark contrast, the Hyatt Rosemont was smaller and had a very quaint boutique layout. All we had to do was take the FREE hotel shuttle from the Hyatt Rosemont to the Hyatt O'Hare and walk across the air conditioned breezeway to the convention center.
3. TRAVEL
Leave yourself plenty of time to get to the airport, get parked, get checked in and get to your gate. Traveling with Gwenie Gwen was great because she hates to be late so we were never rushed. LOVE THAT! Thanks Gwenie Gwen.
Don't forget that the airlines charge a substantial fee for overweight luggage! Usually $25.00 to $50.00 per bag. Therefore, only bring the most absolutely essential items with you. You don't want to put yourself in the position of having to decide what to leave behind so you can squeeze one more ball of yarn in your bag. It's best if you can pack an empty backpack and/or tote bag in your luggage to use to bring your yarn back on the plane with you since we get 2 carry ons. I brought a large capacity High Sierra Access backpack and a tote bag with me.
4. SLEEP
I never stay in a hotel without my trusty ear plugs and plush sleep mask. MUST MUST MUST have, especially if you are sharing your room and one or both of you snore. ;) Might want to use a hair clip to pin the drapes closed, too.
The Thursday Night Market Preview Haul
You must attend the opening night of the market! It's a must.
After getting settled into our hotel. The girls (Gwen, Beth, Suzie) and I hoofed it over to the convention center for the Market Preview. There were samples of Malabrigo Baby Merino Lace and SWTC Vegas . It was while at the Southwest Trading Company's booth that Joe told me about the new LIMITED EDITION colorway #740 for the August 2007 SWTC "Sock of the Month" club. I saw a sample of it knit up and I was instantly smitten. I had to have it. Joe tracked down some of it at one of the vendor booths and I snapped up 3 balls of it. Then, off to The Fold booth for some Socks That Rock! *drool* By the time, I made it over to the booth, there was a long line just to check out and a swarm of women drooling, pawing, you get the picture. I managed to hoard as many hanks as I could hold and added more while I was standing in line to pay. After spending a small fortune at The Fold, we visited the Brooks Farm booth and Gwen, heretofore referred to as the YARN SEEKER, found some Duet on sale that would be perfect for the Clapotis.
We stayed until the market closed then dragged our weary bodies back over to the Hyatt. *phew*
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